There’s nothing like the promise of a new J.K. Rowling book – or even a new Robert Galbraith book – to get us excited. Although “Career of Evil”, the upcoming third installment about the private detective Cormoran Strike, isn’t due until October, it is now available to pre-order in the US.

“Harry Potter” fans at California State University, San Marcos have the opportunity to apply for a special “Harry Potter”-themed study abroad program. The three-week program, which will take place in the UK next June, gives students a chance to explore many of the places that inspired the series.

A recent psychological study describes what’s happening in your brain when you’re reading “Harry Potter.” Do you think the middle cingulate gyrus area of the brain, associated with pain empathy, would be more active or less active while reading the Hogwarts saga? Only one way to find out!

Good news for Texan “Harry Potter” fans! A lecture, called “Harry Potter Unlocked,” is due to take place next week at the West Texas A&M University. The lecture forms part of their ongoing lecture series.

In 2014, classes about “Harry Potter” are nothing new – we’ve seen everything from college courses to summer camps to fitness classes—but one librarian from George Washington University has yet another creative take on teaching the boy wizard. Tolonda Henderson will lead an exciting “Potter”-themed learning opportunity—an event series, Mr. Potter Goes to Washington, where she leads students around the capital while reading excerpts from the book that apply to particular landmarks.

The Policy Studies Organization, which is based in Washington, DC, has announced that they are running a brand new course this summer together with the American Public University. The course, titled International Politics in this World and Beyond: Wizards, Fiction and Political Fact in a Global Age, will look at “Harry Potter”, alongside the works of Tolkien and the world of “Star Wars”.